Secrets Untold
by April Marie
Summary: SANO has a wife and a daughter? (Own chars. in this one. If u dont like the parings dont read!) Chap. 1 sucks but Ch. 2 is better!
1. Welcome to Oue Home

Secrets 

Chapter One

Welcome to our Home

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"And that, Yahiko, is how you defeat even your toughest enemy," Mei said as she lowered her reverse blade and withdrew form her attack stance. She then turned to face the young boy, who was staring at her, mouth agape.

"What's going on out here?" Kaoru asked coming out of the dojo, drying her hands on her training skirt.

"Mei just defeated Kenshin!" Yahiko called, running up to his trainer and tugging on her arm towards the girl who had done what no other could have done.

"How did you manage that, mom?" Mei's daughter, Akira, asked jumping down from the porch.

"Luck," Kenshin answered standing wearily, rubbing the back of his head.

"That was NOT luck, Kenshin Himura! That was pure skill, and I could do it again!" Mei challenged getting in her attack stance, reverse blade raised.

"Excuse me," came a small voice from the gateway, "does Mei Kamiya live here?" The young woman stood in the gateway unsurely, glancing around nervously.

"What's it to you?" Kaoru asked walking towards the freighted girl.

"I… I just… I'm looking for an old friend by the name Sakura Kamiya. I'm sorry if I have disturbed you," the girl said, turning to leave.

"Wait! It's me, Sakura!"

The girl whirled around and dropped her bags. "Mei!?!" she squealed happily and ran towards her former friend and held her in a friendly embrace.

"What's going on out here?" came a familiar voice from the doorway. 

"Oh, Sano! Come down here and lemme introduce my friend. Kaoru, of course you remember Sakura… from when we lived in Kobe?"

"This is the little Sakura?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"And this is Yahiko. This is my lovely daughter Akira. She and Yahiko are both eleven," Mei stated, smiling ecstatically. 

"This is Akira? The last time I saw you, you were still in your mommy's tummy!" Sakura smiled at Akira, who returned the smile.

Sano now approached the group. "Now who is…" he stopped mid-sentence when he saw what all the excitement about. 

Sakura was smiling before she looked up, but when she saw the man before her, she immediately stopped. "Hello," she greeted. _So, this is my husband after 3 years._

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Left ya hanging, didn't I? TEE HEE HEE! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! So please oh please review! I beg of you!


	2. The Secret Gets Out

Chapter 2: The Secret Gets Out

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"Oh, and do you remember when we jumped off that bridge?"

"How could I forget that? All because those boys dared us to!"

"I remember that very well," Kaoru responded, grinning, "I had to explain to Mom why you were wet, but every time I tried I'd start laughing!" The girls fell into another fit of giggles. "We really should keep our voices down. We don't want to wake the children."

Kenshin laughed. He could just see Mei jumping off a bridge. She was just that kind of person. All ways willing to take a dare, always taking a risk. He glanced over at Sano. He held a monotonous smile on his face, staring at Sakura, who suddenly yawned.

"Well, I guess I'll head to bed now." She stood and walked toward the door.

"Wait, I'll walk you to your room," Sano offered, standing also. Without waiting for an answer, he followed her out. Kenshin looked over at Mei, whose eyes were filled with a mysterious glint. Kenshin knew that look very well.

"May I ask what your thinking, Miss Mei?" Kenshin asked, smiling.

"I'm gonna follow," she whispered, giggling with childish delight. She stood and tiptoed silently out of the room. Kenshin chuckled. 'There she goes again…'

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Sakura touched the ___ and turned to say goodnight but Sano blocked the door with the force of his hand. "I know your not just here to see Mei. What's up?" he demanded. Sakura blinked slowly. "I know there's something your not telling me," Sano inclined further, stepping close enough that Sakura could feel his breath on her face.

Sakura sighed wearily and glanced down the hall, and after hearing Kenshin chuckle, sighed again. "OK. Just remember, your coming in strictly to talk. Not for…" Sano nodded and followed her inside the dark room. Sakura lit a candle and sat down opposite of him. She pulled a tattered, yellowed envelope from the inside her kimono and handed it to him.

He took it and opened it carefully, looking up at her over the letter. He stared at her for a brief moment then read the letter.

Sano,

I can't believe you actually left. All those things I said were out of anger. I just couldn't stand coming home one more day to you with a bottle of sake in one hand and another in the other. My world has been ripped by the seams since you left. Please come back to us.

~Sakura Sagara

"Us?" Sano asked after a while. Sakura nodded hastily and looked away. 'He will NOT see me cry,' she thought fiercely as tears welled up in her eyes. "Us?" Sano asked again, gently taking her chin in his hand and turning her to look at him. He had no cue what to do with a crying girl so he pulled her into a hug and Sakura buried her face into his chest.

After a minute or two Sakura took a deep breath and began her story. "After you left me, I wandered around Kobe for a few days, sleeping and eating at friends houses. One day, while I was at sweet old Mrs. Kikimoto's, I fell ill and she called Dr. Hitai. He… he ran some tests and told me I was… well, he told me I was…. I was with… with child…." Sakura drew in a sharp breath and clenched her eyes tight I her heartbeat quickened. 

Sano's hand froze on her shoulder. After a long lapse of silence, Sano asked, "Whose child… is it?"

"You baka. You know very well it's yours," Sakura sat up quickly. They sat there for a while, avoiding eye contact. 

"What's his name? The kid's I mean," Sano asked.

"Her name is Seena…Sagara. I kept your surname. I hope that's OK." Sakura asked, finally looking up at Sano.

Sano responded with another question. "Where is he… she?" He asked uncertainly, looking from Sakura's stomach to her eyes. 

"I left her in the care of Dr. Genzi and another woman who identified herself as Megumi Tankani. Amye and Suzumie were there also."

"When can I see her?" 

"Tomorrow. I'll go tomorrow."

Sano grunted and nodded.

"I really must sleep now, Sano. Goodnight," Sakura bade, laying down on her futon. Sano stood and walked over to her and planted a kiss on her cheek. He walked quickly down the hall, not noticing Mei. She held one hand over her mouth and the other over her chest, for she had heard every single word. 


	3. The Fight for Their Lives

Chapter 3: The Fight For Their Lives

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Hey all! First off, I want to answer my one *sniff* reviewer!

Teresa: Thanks for the review! It's people like you (my true friends) who give me the inspiration to keep on writing… no matter how bad I suck at it! Thanks bunches! Love ya like a sister…..

~April Marie 

Now that that is out of the way…. On with the story!

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Mei ran past the kitchen outside. She feel to her knees in front of the stone bench in the garden. Overhead, a Sakura's tree's blossoms swirled around her. She clutched her chest and let the tears fall freely. '_Why did she keep this from me? Why did he keep this from me?'_

A movement behind her startled her. She quickly wiped away her tears and turned to face no other than Kenshin. "You really should be in bed now, Miss Mei. It's getting dark," he said, motioning toward the setting sun.

Mei smiled and scoffed. "I'm a big girl now Kenshin. I can take care of myself." Mei quickly chocked back another sob.

Kenshin knelt down on one knee to meet eye level. "I know that." The wind blew softly, blowing more blossoms around them and making Mei's hair flow slightly. Kenshin lightly brushed the hair out of her face. Mei looked down at the ground, but Kenshin lifted her chin and stared deeply into her eyes, searching for any response. "Mei… you've been crying…" Kenshin observed, sliding a finger across her red streaked face. 

What happened next was unexpected. Kenshin leaned forward and caught Mei's lips with his own. He quickly pulled away, realizing what he had done. Mei felt as if she was floating away from all her troubles on a big white fluffy cloud. The only thing that existed was her and Kenshin. She pulled him into another kiss and leaned back, hitting her head on the stone bench. She fell into a lapse of giggles. She opened her eyes, still giggling, to find Kenshin's grinning face mere inched from hers. 

Kenshin just couldn't believe it. He was looking into the eyes of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and would ever see. He loved everything about this woman. Her smile, her laugh, even her anger. _Which is obviously genetic,_ he once thought, watching Mei and Kaoru chase Sano and Yahiko around. 

"Mom? Mommy!" The couple looked up, startled. Kenshin was about to tell her something important when Akira's voice had rang through the courtyard. Kenshin helped Mei stand. Mei leaned forward and kissed Kenshin lightly on the tip of his nose then ran inside.

Kenshin stood there for a minute or two before making his way to the dojo. 

Snap.

Kenshin wiped around. A black shadowy figure raced across the lawn. Kenshin stood very still. He whirled around and unleashed his sword in just enough time to block the attack. Pushing with a great force against the offender's sword, throwing him to the ground like a rag doll. "Who dare intrude upon my home?" Kenshin demanded of the man. 

The man immediately threw back his hood and reviled his identity. 

"Ensihi…. I should have known."

"Now, is this the way to treat an old friend?" Ensihi smirked wickedly, suddenly thrusting all his weight on his sword, sending Kenshin flying backwards against the wall of the dojo…. Which just happened to be where Mei's room was.

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Mei slowly walked back to her room. Akira was sound asleep, dreaming happily again. She had just lain down on her futon when the breath-taking sound had snapped her out of her drowsiness. Then came the familiar "Oro." Followed by the unmistakable thud of Kenshin's body hitting the ground. _Kenshin…….._

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Kenshin quickly recovered and attacked again, missing him by mere centimeters. "What's the matter, Himura? Getting to old for this?" Ensihi laughed mockingly. Kenshin replied with another attack, only missing again. 

"Kenshin what's going…." Mei stopped short in sentence. The scene that lay before her left her in utter disbelief. She only had time to unleash her own reverse-blade and block the attack that was coming at her. She soon found herself battling another person who had every intention of killing her. 

Kenshin and Mei soon found themselves back to back. "Who are these people?" Mei asked. "Auggggg!" she cried, tumbling out of the way of another attack. 

"I don't know… eh….. Who you're fighting…. But…. Uh….. I'm fighting Ensihi." Kenshin replied, throwing himself forward so as not to hut Mei with his next attack.

Mei quickly dodged her opponents attack and flipped up in the air and called on the Mitsarugi Style. "Ensihi?" Mei asked landing softly on the ground next to Kenshin. 

Mei side-swiped the sword out of the hooded figures hands and now had to point of her blade at the intruder's neck. "Give it up. You can't beat me," Mei snarled, poking her attacker.

The hooded figure slowly removed the hood and shook her hair out. "You're a…. girl…." Mei stuttered. The girl quickly kicked the sword out of Mei's hand. 

"Yes. I am." The girl retorted firmly. _This girl…. She's so familiar…. _Each dived for their respective swords. Only to be stopped by Ensihi. 

"Let's go, Raye. What had to be has been done."

The girl gave Mei a 'I'll be back' defiant look. And they left. Mei stood until they were out of sight, then clutched her shoulder and fell to the ground. "Uhhh…" came the soft groan from her lips.

"MEI!" Kenshin cried running at her. "MEI!"

Kaoru and the rest of the gang slowly stepped out onto the porch. Kaoru let out a yawn. "What's going on out here? Oh my God, MEI!" Kaoru cried jumping off the porch, soon being followed by Sakura and Akira. 

"What happened to my mother!?" Akira asked, choking back tears.

Kenshin held Mei's lifeless form close to his chest for a long time, not answering. Akira had grabbed her Aunt Kaoru and was sobbing. Yahiko was standing there looking very lost along with Sano who was scratching the back of his head. 

Kenshin glanced up over the bleeding body of Mei. He was no longer Kenshin the Rurouni, but Battousi the Manslayer. He stood, gently carrying Mei inside and laying her on her futon. When he stepped back outside, Kaoru stood, "Kenshin! What are you doing?"

The only answer Kenshin gave was the look he tossed over his shoulder before walking into the mist to look for Ensihi and his helpers.

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Mei slowly opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times. "Why hello, Mei. I thought you'd be waking up soon." Megumi slowly circled over to her new patient and smiled down at her. "How are you feeling?" She asked sweetly.

"Kinda… drowsy…" Mei replied, closing her eyes. 

Suddenly, Kaoru walked in. "Here's the moist towel you wanted, Miss Megumi," she said placing it on the stool closest to her. It was after this she looked down at Mei ready to heave a heavy sigh, just to realize her sister was awake. "Mei! Your awake!" she cried.

"Yeah… Where's Akira and Kenshin?" Mei asked happily.

"Akira's babysitting Amye and Suzumie for Dr. Genzi," Kaoru forcefully smiled cheerfully. There was a pause then came the question Kaoru didn't want to hear.

"…. and Kenshin?" Megumi handed Mei a cup filled with a foul smelling liquid. Mei wrinkled her nose.

"Mei, he… he's not here right now."

"Where is he?" Mei took a sip and made a gagging face behind Megumi's back.

"I… I don't know…"

Mei laughed nervously. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean… I don't know."

"You have to have some inclination where he is," Mei said, bringing the medicine to her lips.

"He went to find Ensihi." The words came out rushed and fast, but by the look on Mei's face, she had understood. The glass fell from her shaking hands and let out a small gasp, before falling back into the overwhelming darkness.

^.^ ^o^ =^.^= O.o O.O -.0 -.- ~.~ -.-' J ;) :o :O ``O.O`` 

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Not everything is what it seems…….. So look beyond what you see……..

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I need what you people think about the story! Should I stop? Go on? Forget my life as a writer? Tell me people! If you have any questions, ask away…………………. 


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